i'm afraid that bird flu has become more dangerous that it actually was!! the virus can now be transmitted from human to human.. at least that's what i've understood when i read about bird flu at []

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As the migratory birds continue to spread the avian flu virus throughout the world, your common lifestyle could endanger you. Maybe you should wonder whether you really are prepared in case of a new pandemic.

For example, Dr Iea Longini, a well known biostatistician warns keen travelers that they should avoid travelling by air, because “Aero planes re-circulate air which is ideal for spreading a flu virus throughout the whole cabin.”

Dr John Treanor, a researcher of the bird flu vaccine warns both students and teachers that spending your time in a place where lots of people crowd together increases the risk of being infected.
Parents should know that “children are the major transmitters” – according to Longini. Therefore the most exposed individuals are parents as well as teachers.

Lamb also warns us against using any means of public transport because “Anytime people start coughing or sneezing close by, risk of transmission rises.”

Unfortunately, even the most innocent handshake or close indoor seating’s have made churches , mosques and synagogues dangerous places to be in. “Congregating in one room is undoubtedly the way to spread infection,” says Dr Robert Lamb.

Because indoor sports games is an easy way of getting more people infected , most of these sports events might be cancelled if a pandemic is triggered. However, watching the game at a bar, in front of a huge TV screen while surrounded by lots of other people is not a good idea either.

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

Rome says it has many applications for religious centres
Authorities in Rome have refused to allow a building next to a Catholic church to be converted into a mosque.
The planned mosque, in a densely populated and multi-ethnic quarter in the centre of the Italian capital, was supposed to open next month.

Municipal police said the community of Bengali Muslims who were carrying out the building works did not have the necessary permit.

Local right-wing politicians have applauded the police action.

Biggest mosque

The mosque was scheduled to open in Esquiline hill, one of the seven hills of ancient Rome.

The quarter houses people of widely different ethnic origins.

They are already served by seven Catholic churches, a Buddhist temple, a synagogue, a Zain prayer centre and a Chinese Evangelical church.

Rome also boasts the biggest mosque in Europe, built with Saudi money outside the city centre, about 3km (2 miles) from St Peter's Basilica.

There are another three mosques and three Islamic prayer centres in the city, frequented by the growing number of Muslim residents.

A Rome city official in charge of ethnic policies has supported the opening of the new mosque but says authorities already had previous applications dating back nine years for the opening of new centres of worship from Buddhists, Hindus and Romanian Orthodox believers.

Originally Posted by Puckhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6958299.stmMosque conversion stopped by Roman authorities
....
Municipal police said the community of Bengali Muslims who were carrying out the building works did not have the necessary permit.

Two South Korean women, held hostage for weeks by the Taliban in Afghanistan, have appealed for the release of the other 19 hostages.

Speaking exclusively to Al Jazeera, in an interview broadcast on Thursday, Kim Kyung-ja and Kim Jee-na said the relief they felt at their release was overshadowed by the plight of the remaining hostages.

"You probably think we are happy now, with our families. In fact, we can hardly sleep at night," said Kim Jee-na.

"I understand that Islamic teachings give priority to life and family. Please release our co-workers as soon as possible."

Lee Jee-young, one of the hostages and who had also been working as a translator for the group, gave up her place as one of the hostages to be freed.

"We were very worried when we heard that Jee-yong volunteered to be left behind," said Kim Jee-na.

"But the Taliban allowed Jee-yong to write a letter to her family which consoled her and gave her some hope that she would come home soon."

Painful decision

The freed women said they had not been treated badly by the Taliban while in captivity and "were given basic things such as food, medication and some blankets".

But they also said it was painfully difficult to leave their friends in captivity.

The women were part of a group of 23 South Korean aid workers who were taken hostage by Taliban fighters in July as their tour bus travelled along the Kabul-Kandahar highway in Afghanistan's Ghazni province.

The group, all members of a Christian church in Seoul, had travelled to Afghanistan to provide aid work.

"We were looking after the patients and children playing soccer games at the hospital located in Mazari Sharif," the women said.

"We were planning to continue our work at the hospital and kindergarten after moving to Kandahar."

In exchange for the hostages, the Taliban demanded the withdrawal of South Korean troops from the country and the release of prisoners held by the Afghan authorities.

But negotiations reached a deadlock on several occasions and a number of deadlines set by the Taliban passed without those demands being met.

Hostages killed

The Taliban has already killed two of the hostages.

Bae Hyung-kyu, the group's leader, was killed and his bullet-riddled body was left close to the road where the group was kidnapped.

Qari Mohammad Yousuf, a Taliban spokesman, said at the time that Bae had been killed "because the government did not listen to our demands".

Later, after another deadline passed, the Taliban killed Shim Seong-min, another male hostage.

The Taliban continues to demand that the Afghan authorities release prisoners in exchange for the remaining hostages, demands that the Afghan authorities have refused.

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

Khasi tribes people in the Indian state of Meghalaya have decided to honour former US Vice President Al Gore for promoting awareness on climate change.

They say changes in the weather are devastating the picturesque hill state.

Traditional chiefs of the tribe will confer the Grassroot Democracy awards on Al Gore for his campaign for measures to stop global warming.

A spokeswoman for Mr Gore said he was "humbled" to hear of the award, but was unsure if he could attend the ceremony.

'Abode of the clouds'

The tribes people say that they also want to honour him for his award-winning 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which they say dramatically highlights changes to the environment because of global warming.

Al Gore

The award will be handed over at the second Dorbar Ri (People's Parliament) on 6 October near a sacred forest at the village of Mawphlang, which has been preserved untouched for more than 700 years.

The award will consist of traditional gifts including local handicrafts and a "small amount of money".

"We hope Mr Gore would be able to bring global attention to what we are facing in our part of the world," Meghalaya parliament member Robert Kharshing said.

"This whole thing called climate change is affecting us the most."

Meghalaya - literally "Abode of the Clouds" - is home to the towns of Cherrapunji and Mawsynram, which vie for the title of wettest place on earth.

But rampant deforestation and global warming mean these areas are getting less rain, while the soil is not able to hold water that does arrive, environmentalists say.

Amelia Sohtun, husband and their 17 children
Khasis say they are under threat (Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee)

They say that this is not only affecting the livelihoods of hill farmers who depend on sub-soil water, but has even resulted in shortages of drinking water, particularly during winter months.

"Meghalaya will lose the very meaning of its name because of drastic climate change caused by global warming," said Peter Lyngdoh, a local environmentalist.

The tribes people say that they are also at risk from a greater influx of migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh, where global warming has increased the demand for living space because large coastal regions have become submerged.

"Such huge influxes will reduce us to foreigners in our own land," says local politician Paul Lyngdoh.

Such fears have prompted the authorities to launch what critics say are absurd measures to reward tribal mothers with cash if they give birth to more than 15 children.

31st August was Princess Diana's 10th anniversary of her death. Here a article from BBC.

Quote:

Prince Harry leads Diana tributes

Prince Harry called Diana "our guardian, friend and protector"

Harry's tribute

Prince Harry has told a service to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, that she was "the best mother in the world".Family and friends joined Princes William and Harry for the service at Guards' Chapel near Buckingham Palace. Harry told the congregation, which included the Queen, Prince Philip and Prince Charles: "She made us and so many other people happy." The Bishop of London said it was now time to "let Diana rest in peace". The Right Reverend Dr Richard Chartres, said the princess's memory should no longer be used to score points, and urged: "Let it end here." 'Love and gratitude'Harry, who was 12 when his mother was killed, said her death was "indescribably shocking and sad", and changed his life and that of his brother forever. He added: "When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. "We both think of her every day. We speak about her and laugh together at all the memories." Prince William, who was 15 when Diana died, gave a reading from St Paul's letter to the Ephesians which asked for inner strength.

Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, also gave a reading. The service included Diana's favourite classical music by composers Rachmaninov and Mozart and four hymns, concluding with Diana's favourite, I Vow To Thee, My Country. The service also included two prayers written by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his predecessors Tony Blair and John Major were accompanied by their wives to the service. The Duchess of Cornwall was invited to the hour-long memorial but decided not to attend, saying her presence would be a distraction. Former members of the princess's staff, all of the bridesmaids and page boys from her 1981 wedding, and over 110 representatives of charities and organisations with which she was associated were also on the guest list.

Earlier, Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died in the crash alongside the princess, laid flowers at a shrine he has built at the London store and held a two-minute silence.

Other memorial services for the princess are being held at venues across the UK, including Manchester, Bristol, Aberdeen and Cardiff. Hundreds of people attended the Manchester service, which began at 1630 BST. It included readings, a blessing, and music played at the princess's funeral. Admirers of the late princess have tied flowers and cards to the gates of Kensington Palace - her former London residence - as they did in 1997 after her death. Members of the public have also left bouquets and gifts at Althorp, where Diana is buried, at the gate of Sandringham estate in Norfolk where she was born. It was the first time Althorp had been opened on an anniversary of her death. Althorp is the home of Diana's brother, Earl Spencer. He invited charity workers, members of organisations supported by Diana and limited numbers of members of the public into the estate.

When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly

Earl Spencer said: "This year, though, I wanted to invite, as my family's guests, representatives of those charities and groups particularly associated with Diana. "It seems a fitting way to remember her invaluable association with so many fine organisations." Several visitors had applied for tickets offered in a local newspaper. Betty Clarke, 80, of Northampton, said: "She's an icon and will never be forgotten. I was really glad to come and pay my respects." A service will be held at the nearby St Mary's Church, in Great Brington, on Friday night to give members of the local community and staff at the Althorp estate a chance to reflect on Diana's life. Tributes to the late princess have also been left near the Eternal Flame monument by the tunnel in Paris where she was killed. Princess Diana died, aged 36, along with her companion Dodi Al Fayed, 42, and chauffeur Henri Paul, when the Mercedes they were in crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel on 31 August 1997. The princess's death provoked an unprecedented outpouring of national grief, with hundreds of thousands gathering to mourn outside Kensington Palace, where they left a sea of floral tributes.

i had an eye infection when she died. i was in bed for a few days. no tv and all the radio stations blasting out sad songs. the outpouring of grief was simply overwhelming and sickening. all this for an attention seeker.

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Sept 4 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck near the heart of the Pakistani military on Tuesday, killing 24 people and wounding 66, many of them Defence Ministry staff on their way to work in the city of Rawalpindi.

The blasts come at a time of rising militant violence and deepening political uncertainty in Pakistan, with the army chief and president, General Pervez Musharraf, preparing to try to secure a new term and his opponents vowing to end his rule.

The government dismissed speculation the blasts could lead to the declaration of an emergency and postponement of presidential and parliamentary elections due in coming weeks and months.

One bomb blew up a bus carrying Ministry of Defence staff, about a kilometre (half a mile) from the headquarters of the country's army, said military spokesman Major-General Waheed Arshad.

The second went off in a market area of Rawalpindi, the sister city of Islamabad where Musharraf and many other top military officials live and where Islamabad's international airport is located.

"Both were suicide bombings but I have no detail about how they were carried out," Arshad said.

__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)

The names of all the New York victims are being read out
Americans are holding ceremonies to mark the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed when four planes were hijacked and flown into New York's World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.

Church bells tolled at 0846 local time to mark the moment when the first Trade Center tower was hit.

A message purportedly from al-Qaeda head Osama Bin Laden has been released, praising one of the hijackers.

'Remembrance and renewal'

For the first time, much of the New York ceremony is taking place away from the World Trade Center site - known as Ground Zero - because of construction there.

The enemies of America, the enemies of our values and our liberty, will never again rest easy

Defence Secretary Robert Gates

9/11: The four hijacks
In graphics: How towers fell
In pictures: 9/11 anniversary

Those taking part have gathered at a nearby park instead, to a backdrop of bagpipes, drum beats and overcast skies.

The names of the New York victims were being read out as in previous years but for the first time by the surviving firefighters and other emergency workers on duty at the time.

Some of those reading out the names were overcome with emotion as they came to list fallen colleagues.

Much of the New York ceremony is taking place away from Ground Zero

The ceremony includes two pauses to mark the moments when the two planes crashed into the twin towers, and two more to mark the moments when the buildings collapsed.

Relatives of the 2,749 people killed in New York by 10 of the hijackers will be able to file down a ramp into the World Trade Center site to lay flowers.

New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the families: "Six years have passed and our place is still by your side."

Rudy Giuliani, the city's mayor on 11 September 2001, has attracted criticism for using his performance in the weeks after the attacks in his campaign to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee.

He said his appearance at the ceremony was not intended to be political.

'Shared sorrow'

President George W Bush, who in past years has laid a wreath at the site and made a speech, observed a moment of silence at the White House.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates hosted a memorial service at the Pentagon for relatives of the 184 people killed by the five hijackers aboard American Airlines flight 77.

He paid tribute to those killed and spoke of the nation's shared sorrow and pain at their loss.

Mr Gates also vowed to defend the American people and their values from any threat.

"The enemies of America, the enemies of our values and our liberty, will never again rest easy because we will hunt them down relentlessly and without reservation," he said.

A further ceremony was being held in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines flight 93 crashed after some of the 40 passengers and crew rushed the four men who hijacked that plane.

A memorial event was also held at the main US airbase in Afghanistan.

Hijacker's voice

A new message purported to be from Bin Laden has been released to coincide with the anniversary.

Bin Laden's new message praises a 9/11 hijacker
In it, a still photograph of the al-Qaeda leader is shown while his voice is heard praising the role of Waleed al-Shehri, one of the 19 hijackers.

It comes just a few days after the release of Bin Laden's first video for three years.

In the new message he wears the same beige cloak and dark trimmed beard as in last week's video.

The new video also shows footage of al-Shehri, recorded shortly before his death, speaking about what motivated him to help hijack American Airlines flight 11, the first of the planes flown into the twin towers.

This is the sixth video released by al-Qaeda featuring the hijackers.

BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says it is part of a regular cycle of al-Qaeda releasing videos to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary.